Savory Almond And Vanilla Sauce

By Wewah

During a bout of insomnia, I found myself wondering why we rarely encounter vanilla in a savory setting. This sauce was inspired by the timeless combination of French fries and a vanilla milkshake. We eat it with oven-roasted fries, but it's also good with roasted winter squash or beets.

Ingredients

• Makes about 1 1/2 cups
• 1 slice of baguette, 1 1/2 to 2 inches
• 1 cup blanched sliced almonds
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water
• Lots of freshly ground pepper

Details

Adapted from npr.org

Preparation

Step 1

Cut the crusts off of the slice of bread, and cover it with water.

Put the almonds in a blender with the moist bread, the vanilla, balsamic, olive oil, salt and water. Blend until smooth.

You will probably need to add more water, but start with half a cup and work your way up. You want a consistency like very thick cream. Add as much pepper as you like and blend once more.